Goodbyes
by sein Henker
Summary: Clara was never trying to replace Angie's mum.


Title: Goodbyes  
Summary: Clara was never trying to replace Angie's mum.  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 1036  
Other Chapters: No.  
Disclaimer: The British Broadcasting Corporation owns Doctor Who and all related trademarks. I do not in any way profit from the use of these trademarks. Pairings: None  
Contains: spoilers for "Day of the Doctor."  
Warnings: no major warnings

The last of the boxes was packed, and her father would be there tomorrow to help her move into her new place. It was going to be hard to leave—and Artie was taking it harder than anyone—but it was time. Clara loved Angie and Artie and she didn't want to leave them, but she didn't believe she was needed any more, and that meant that it would be healthier for everyone if she left as soon as possible. Like ripping a plaster off. She had a feeling that the kids were going to miss the Doctor as much as or more than they were going to miss her, anyway. Maybe they'd see him again someday. For all that he denied it, Clara's whole relationship with him was proof that sometimes he did come back. In the meantime, it was best for the kids anyway if their lives went back to normal. Angie and Artie had never told their father about the Doctor or about the few times they'd gone travelling with him and Clara, but Clara was sure Mr. Maitland wouldn't approve. He shouldn't approve, really. Most of their travels had been safe, but Clara and the Doctor had nearly gotten the children converted into half-robot monsters. Clara's life was dangerously incompatible with those of the children, and she recognized that. That's why she was leaving.

That Doctor wasn't going to help her move. That was too domestic and normal for him, and in any case Clara supposed it was tempting fate to bring the TARDIS into the house again when Mr. Maitland still hadn't discovered their secret. The Doctor had agreed with her that it was best for her to leave, thought she thought that he was going to miss the children terribly too, and he had suggested she apply to the position she'd ultimately accepted, once she'd convinced him that she really was sure she didn't want to put her life on hold for a while and travel with him full-time. It had been very tempting to, especially since she had wanted to put her life on hold and go travelling anyway, before she'd become a nanny, but the universe was vast and part of Clara wanted to see it all, and she knew that if she ever did put her life on hold like that, she'd never take it off hold by choice. She needed to keep one foot firmly planted in the real world, or one day she'd blink and she'd be eighty years old and on Mars with no idea what became of her own father. The Doctor seemed to understand that.

Clara did one last sweep of the public areas of the house, trying to force herself to accept that this was it. She really was leaving and not coming back. This was her last night of living here, and stranger yet, the Maitlands were going to go right on living here without her. It was strange and liberating and hard.

Angie was on the sofa with her laptop.

"School work?" Clara asked.

"Yeah," Angie said.

"Liar," Clara said. "You're on Facebook."

"So what if I am?" Angie said. "You're not my—"

"Not your mum," Clara said, with a nod. She sat down in a chair opposite Angie and stared at Angie for a minute. "You know that I was never trying to be, don't you?"

There was a pause. Angie wiggled awkwardly, and then Clara heard a 'ding' from her laptop and she typed a quick reply to whomever she was chatting with before she looked back at Clara. "I know," she said quietly.

"So why'd you say that all the time?"

Angie shrugged. She looked back at the screen for a few seconds, typed another line or two to her friend, and then looked back at Clara. "You were still only here because she isn't any more. It felt... wrong. Like you were replacing her, even if you weren't trying to. You did all the stuff she used to do. You made me lunch and helped with homework and..." Angie shrugged. "I just didn't want anyone but her doing those things."

Clara nodded. "I... I get that. When my mum died, for a while, I avoided people and things that reminded me of her. I still don't like eating anyone else's souffles. It was always so... disappointing. It all just feels like a cheap knock-off her and that's almost this unintended insult to it." Clara bit her lower lip. Angie looked at her. Angie's computer dinged again, but this time Angie held Clara's eyes. "Nobody can ever replace your mum," Clara said. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I understand. And I don't blame you."

"I don't blame you either," Angie said. She smirked. "And I might even miss you a little bit."

"Just a little bit?"

"A little bit." They both laughed, and Angie looked down at her screen for a few seconds, then sighed and looked back up at Clara. "You're not leaving because of me, are you?"

"No!" Clara said quickly. "Nothing like that."

"Good," Angie said. "Artie'd never forgive me. He said earlier that he thought you were, but..."

"No," Clara repeated. "I'll talk to him about that. It's just... time I moved on, is all. Time your family started to get back into the swing of things without me. My dad and I had to do it. Besides, the Doctor... he isn't really compatible with this job, you know?"

"I'm going to miss him a lot," Angie said.

Clara nodded. "And he'll miss you. He really will." Clara stood up and turned to go back to her room. "But cheer up. You've gotten to see more of the universe than most girls your age! That's something."

"I suppose," Angie said. "Are you going to sleep in tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Clara said. "While I still can."

"And you're going to be gone by the time I get home from school." That was spoken like a statement, not a question.

"Yeah," Clara said.

Angie nodded. "Goodbye, then."

Clara nodded. "Goodbye. I'll be seeing you around, I'm sure."

Clara smiled, but Angie was busy typing away on her laptop now. She didn't even look up.


End file.
